Radon in Yukon: Levels, Risk, Rules & What to Do

A note before you read. This is general consumer information for Yukon homeowners, buyers, sellers, landlords, and renters, drawn from publicly available Health Canada, Government of Yukon, Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board, and peer-reviewed sources. It is not medical, legal, or warranty advice. Radon results are reported against the Health Canada guideline of 200 Bq/m³; RadonTest.ca coordinates testing logistics and does not interpret individual results or provide health assessments.

Key facts: radon in Yukon at a glance

• Yukon has some of the highest radon levels in Canada. Health Canada's Cross-Canada Survey found 19.6% of Yukon homes at or above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline, and a more recent Government of Yukon report (data 2016–2019) found nearly 1 in 4 homes (24.7%) above it — well above the national figure. Health Canada estimates 1 in 5 Canadian homes have high radon; in Yukon, the share is higher.
• About half of tested Yukon homes are above the WHO's 100 Bq/m³ reference level. The Government of Yukon report put it at 50.9%.
• Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second leading cause overall, after smoking.
• Levels vary enormously by community and even street to street. Whitehorse is the most-tested area; some smaller communities (Pelly Crossing, Beaver Creek, Mayo) have tested much higher. Any home can have high radon — the only way to know is to test.
• The Health Canada guideline is 200 Bq/m³ (annual average). If your long-term result is above it, Health Canada recommends taking corrective action within one year — sooner the higher the level.
• Yukon has no new-home warranty that covers radon (unlike Ontario's Tarion). But Yukon does build radon protection into new homes through the building code, and a territorial home-repair program may help fund mitigation.
• New Yukon homes build in radon protection. Yukon enforces the National Building Code of Canada 2020; the Government of Yukon says this includes "requirements for a complete radon mitigation system to reduce radon exposure" in new construction.
• Testing takes a minimum of 91 days (a long-term test). Fixing a home typically costs around $2,700, and a system installs in about a day — though remote communities can cost more.

How much radon is in Yukon homes?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas with no colour, smell, or taste. It seeps up from the breakdown of uranium in soil and bedrock and accumulates indoors. Every Yukon home has some radon; what matters is how much — and across the territory, the answer is "more than most of Canada."

Two main datasets describe Yukon, and they measure slightly different things, so it's worth keeping them straight:

• Health Canada's Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (data collected 2009–2011, published 2012). Of 225 valid Yukon results, 19.6% were at or above 200 Bq/m³ (13.8% in the 200–600 range and 5.8% above 600). Health Canada grouped Yukon with Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan as the jurisdictions with the highest share of homes above the guideline. (The sample was small, as it is for all the territories — read it as a strong signal, not a precise census.)
• The Government of Yukon's radon report ("Understanding the Risk of Indoor Radon Exposure in the Yukon," data 2016–2019, released early 2026). Drawing on 1,455 Yukon homes, it found 24.7% at or above 200 Bq/m³ — nearly one in four — with a geometric-mean concentration of about 106 Bq/m³ and individual readings ranging from 0 to over 3,600 Bq/m³. It also found 50.9% of homes above 100 Bq/m³, the WHO reference level — roughly half of all tested homes.

The two figures (19.6% and 24.7%) aren't contradictory; they come from different studies, years, and samples. Both point the same direction: Yukon is a high-radon territory. (A 2024 national academic study, the Evict Radon / University of Calgary survey, reported its results in regional groupings rather than for Yukon alone — it placed a combined "Northern" region of Yukon and the Northwest Territories at about 1 in 5 (20.5%) above the guideline, and a separate "Pacific Interior and Yukon" grouping at about 1 in 3, but that grouping mixes Yukon with interior British Columbia, so it isn't a clean Yukon number. The Government of Yukon's own 24.7% is the best territory-specific figure.) For how Yukon compares with the rest of the country, see our radon levels by province breakdown.

What this means for you: territorial averages can't tell you about your house. In Whitehorse's Riverdale neighbourhood, the Government of Yukon report recorded readings from 2 to over 2,000 Bq/m³ — on the same streets. A long-term test is the only way to know your own number.

Radon by region in Yukon

Yukon's radon is high across the board, but it is not uniform. The Government of Yukon's report is the richest public dataset, built largely on testing in and around Whitehorse (where about two-thirds of Yukoners live) plus smaller communities. Highlights, all from that report (data 2016–2019, small community samples — treat the percentages as indicative):

A few regional stories stand out:

Whitehorse — high, and highly variable. As the territory's largest community, Whitehorse has by far the most test data (more than 800 homes). The report found neighbourhoods such as Hillcrest-Valleyview, Wolf Creek, Pineridge, and Porter Creek among the higher-testing areas — but the headline is variability: in Riverdale, results ranged from 2 to over 2,000 Bq/m³. Two neighbours can read completely differently.

Smaller communities — some of the highest rates recorded. Pelly Crossing, Beaver Creek, and Mayo posted the highest percentages of homes above the guideline in the report. These are small samples, so the exact percentages should be read with caution, but the signal is real: rural Yukon communities can be high-radon.

Public buildings, too. The Government of Yukon also tested public buildings: about 8% of 349 buildings were above the guideline before mitigation. Many high-reading buildings have since been fixed — a reminder that high radon is solvable once it's measured.

(We mention Whitehorse, Mayo, Pelly Crossing and other communities by name here; if you live in one of them, the territory-wide guidance on this page applies — test your own home with a long-term kit.)

Why Yukon has radon: the geology

Radon levels track the amount of uranium and thorium in the ground beneath a home. Yukon's combination of uranium-bearing bedrock, glacial soils, and cold-climate building styles helps explain why so many homes run high — but the precise geological controls are still being studied. The Yukon Geological Survey has noted that the territory has "a number of potential sources for radon," and that the origins of Yukon's high indoor radon are an active area of research rather than a settled map.

What is clear is that the local ground is uranium-bearing in places: groundwater studies around Whitehorse have found uranium concentrations above drinking-water limits in a meaningful share of samples, consistent with uranium-rich local geology that can also generate radon gas. As everywhere, the general mechanism is the same — radon comes from the decay of uranium in rock and soil, and the amount in any given home depends on the local bedrock and soil, the foundation, and how the house is ventilated. Yukon's long heating season, when homes are sealed against the cold, also tends to concentrate radon indoors.

The practical takeaway is the same one the geology implies: because the controls are local and not fully mapped, you cannot infer your home's level from your neighbourhood or your bedrock. You have to test.

Is radon dangerous? The health risk in Yukon

Radon is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a Group 1 carcinogen — the highest category, the same as tobacco smoke and asbestos. Health Canada's current figures:

• Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and the second leading cause overall after smoking.
• About 16% of lung-cancer deaths in Canada are estimated to be radon-related — more than 3,000 deaths a year (Health Canada's fact sheet cites roughly 3,200).
• Health Canada estimates that a non-smoker exposed to high radon over a lifetime has roughly a 1 in 20 chance of developing lung cancer from it; for a smoker, the combined risk rises to about 1 in 3. Radon and tobacco smoke multiply each other's risk.

There is no published Yukon-specific lung-cancer-from-radon estimate, but the Government of Yukon itself describes indoor radon as "a significant public health issue in the Yukon" — a reasonable characterization given that the territory's measured prevalence is among the highest in the country and roughly half of tested homes sit above the WHO reference level.

Health Canada is careful to frame the risk proportionately, and so are we: there is no level of radon that is completely risk-free, the risk below the guideline is small, and it is ultimately each homeowner's choice what level of exposure they are willing to accept. Radon exposure is long-term, not acute — there are no immediate symptoms. The point isn't alarm; it's that radon is a measurable, fixable risk, and in Yukon it's a common one.

The Health Canada guideline — and what your number means

Canada's guideline is 200 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³), measured as an annual average in a normally occupied area of the home. It's a health-based guideline, not a hard legal limit for private homes. Health Canada's guidance:

• At or above 200 Bq/m³: take corrective action to reduce the level, within one year — and sooner the higher the result.
• Below 200 Bq/m³: no corrective action is recommended, though no level is risk-free; given how common elevated readings are in Yukon, some households (especially where someone smokes) choose to act toward the WHO's more protective 100 Bq/m³ reference level. (See how the Health Canada, WHO, and US thresholds compare.)

Your result is a concentration, not a pass/fail — it exists on a spectrum. For a plain-language walkthrough of what different result ranges mean and what Health Canada recommends at each, see our guide on how to read your radon test results.

How to test for radon in Yukon

Testing is the only way to know your home's level, and it's straightforward:

• Use a long-term test of at least 91 days (three months). Health Canada recommends long-term testing because radon swings day to day and season to season; a 91+ day average is what reflects your real exposure. Short-term tests and digital "screeners" can flag a possible problem but are not suitable for deciding whether to act.
• Yukon's long heating season makes testing easy to time. A test that runs through the cold months, when homes are sealed up, gives a conservative reading — but you can start any time of year. A result at or above the guideline is worth acting on regardless of season.
• Place the detector in the lowest lived-in level (often the basement if it's used), in a room occupied more than four hours a day, about 30 cm off the floor and away from drafts, vents, and direct sun. Not the kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room.
• Use a C-NRPP-approved test. RadonTest.ca kits use an alpha-track detector analysed by a C-NRPP-certified laboratory. (For how long-term kits compare with continuous digital monitors, see our guide.)

Where to get your test: order a RadonTest.ca kit — the detector, analysis by a C-NRPP-certified laboratory (with an all-in-Canada analysis option), tracked shipping both ways, and your result delivered with clear Health Canada context are all included, and it ships to Yukon addresses. One caution about cheaper retail kits: not every hardware-store kit is analysed by a C-NRPP-certified lab — see our comparison of hardware-store radon test kits.

When to retest. Health Canada recommends testing again after any renovation that affects your home's structure or ventilation (finishing a basement, a new furnace, adding a bathroom), after energy retrofits (new windows, insulation, air sealing), or after excavation near the foundation. If you install a mitigation system, retest every five years to confirm it's still working. There's no blanket "every five years" rule for an unmitigated home — the trigger is change.

For more, see when is radon testing season in Canada.

If your radon is high: mitigation in Yukon

A result above 200 Bq/m³ is a solvable problem (here's what to do if your radon is above 200 Bq/m³). Health Canada recommends hiring a C-NRPP-certified radon mitigation professional.

How it works. The standard, most effective method is active soil depressurization (ASD), also called sub-slab depressurization. A pipe is installed through the foundation slab and a continuously running fan draws radon from beneath the home and vents it safely outside, before it can enter your living space. In most homes this reduces radon by more than 80%, and a system can usually be installed in less than a day. A few important points a good contractor will handle: the fan must run continuously (never switched off); the installer should check that the system doesn't cause "back-drafting" of a furnace, water heater, or fireplace; and the work should be verified with a short-term test after activation and confirmed with a long-term test the following heating season — ideally not by the company that installed the system.

What it costs. There is no published Yukon-specific mitigation cost figure. Nationally, industry data compiled by Take Action on Radon puts the average at about $2,700, and Health Canada's own estimate for a typical sub-slab system is $2,000–$3,000. In Yukon — and especially in remote communities — costs can run higher because there are few C-NRPP-certified mitigators in the North and some travel from British Columbia or Alberta. Running the fan costs roughly $50–$75 a year in electricity, and the fan itself (about $200–$300) lasts 5–10+ years.

Find a certified professional. The Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) — run by the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists with Health Canada oversight — certifies radon measurement professionals, mitigation professionals, and labs. Health Canada recommends using a C-NRPP-certified contractor. Search the directory at c-nrpp.ca/find-a-professional; in the North you may need to contact a professional who serves Yukon from elsewhere. RadonTest.ca does not perform mitigation or recommend specific companies.

See also: radon mitigation cost across Canada and how to choose a licensed radon mitigator.

Yukon's radon rules and protections

Yukon takes radon seriously at the policy level — it builds radon protection into new homes through the building code and runs a long-standing awareness program. What it lacks is a new-home warranty that covers radon.

New-home warranty

Yukon has no mandatory new-home warranty program, and nothing covers radon as a warranty item. This is different from Ontario, where the Tarion warranty covers radon mitigation up to $50,000. Yukon buyers of a brand-new home do not have an equivalent statutory backstop for radon — which makes testing after you move in all the more important.

The building code (new construction)

Yukon enforces the National Building Code of Canada 2020. Among the significant changes it lists, the Government of Yukon includes "requirements for a complete radon mitigation system to reduce radon exposure" in new construction. (In practice the National Building Code's radon provisions centre on a soil-gas barrier and a sub-slab depressurization rough-in — a capped pipe a fan can be added to — so confirm the exact requirement for your build with your local building authority.) Yukon has announced it will adopt the 2025 edition of the National Building Code on June 22, 2027. The City of Whitehorse sets its own building standards by bylaw, "usually higher than" the national code, so radon requirements are enforced most consistently within Whitehorse; enforcement capacity in smaller communities varies. The building code governs new construction only and does not require anything of existing homes. More detail: Canadian building codes and radon.

Awareness and testing programs

Yukon runs an active radon-awareness effort — the Yukon Housing Corporation, with Health Canada, Yukon Health and Social Services, and partners, has distributed free radon kits in remote communities since 2019, and all Yukon public schools have been tested. As of late 2025, Yukon Public Libraries also lend free radon screening devices. These short-term screeners are useful for awareness and for flagging a possible problem, but they are not a substitute for the long-term (91+ day) test Health Canada recommends before deciding whether to act — so treat a borrowed screener as a prompt to run a proper long-term test, not as the test itself.

Selling or buying a home: disclosure in Yukon

Radon disclosure is not mandatory in Yukon. There is no territorial property-disclosure statement with a radon line (only Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and British Columbia have one), and transactions are generally governed by "buyer beware" (caveat emptor). However, a known elevated radon level is the kind of hidden ("latent") defect a seller who is aware of it should disclose. Practical takeaway: if you've tested and know your level is high, that knowledge should be disclosed; if you're buying, make radon part of your due diligence. See radon when buying or selling a home in Canada. Renting, or renting out a property? See our guides for landlords and renters.

Radon in Yukon workplaces

Yukon is one of the few jurisdictions with a radon-specific occupational-health provision, but it is an old one. The territory's Occupational Health Regulations (administered by the Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board) address radon in "working level" units oriented to mining and high-radiation work, requiring employers to keep airborne radon "as low as reasonably practicable" and to take corrective action when levels exceed a defined working level — not the modern 200 Bq/m³ general-workplace standard. Separately, federally regulated workplaces in Yukon (banks, telecom, interprovincial and air transport, federal operations) fall under a new federal rule, SOR/2026-10, which sets a binding workplace limit of 200 Bq/m³ (replacing the old 800 Bq/m³ standard) and comes into force around early 2027.

Financial help in Yukon

• There is no Yukon provincial radon grant or tax credit dedicated to radon. But Yukon's Home Repair Program (administered by Yukon Housing Corporation) offers repair grants of up to $10,000 and repair loans of up to $70,000, and the Government of Yukon has indicated that radon mitigation can be an eligible expense. Eligibility rules and whether radon qualifies under the grant, the loan, or both can change — confirm directly with Yukon Housing Corporation before relying on it. RadonTest.ca is not affiliated with the Government of Yukon.
• Lungs Matter (Canadian Lung Association) offers up to $1,500 toward home radon mitigation, prioritizing people diagnosed with lung cancer and lower-income households. The program is described as national; because there is no Yukon lung association, confirm territorial eligibility with the Canadian Lung Association.
• There is currently no open federal radon-mitigation grant for the general public.

Frequently asked questions

Is radon a problem in Yukon? Yes — Yukon has some of the highest radon levels in Canada. Health Canada's survey found 19.6% of Yukon homes above the guideline, and a Government of Yukon report found nearly 1 in 4 (24.7%). About half of tested homes are above the WHO's 100 Bq/m³ reference level.

What is a risk-free radon level in Yukon? There is no completely risk-free level — Health Canada's guideline is 200 Bq/m³, the level above which it recommends taking action within a year. The risk below the guideline is small but not zero, and the WHO references a more protective 100 Bq/m³.

Where is radon worst in Yukon? Levels are high across the territory and vary street to street. In the Government of Yukon report, communities such as Pelly Crossing, Beaver Creek, and Mayo posted the highest shares above the guideline, and more than 1 in 5 homes were high in Whitehorse and eight other communities. Any individual home can be high — testing is the only way to know.

Why is radon so high in Yukon? Yukon's uranium-bearing bedrock and soils, combined with a long heating season when homes are sealed against the cold, tend to concentrate radon indoors. The precise geological controls are still being studied by the Yukon Geological Survey.

Do new Yukon homes have radon protection built in? Yes — Yukon enforces the National Building Code of Canada 2020, which the Government of Yukon says includes "requirements for a complete radon mitigation system to reduce radon exposure" in new construction. The building code applies to new construction only; confirm the exact requirement for your build with your local building authority.

Does any warranty cover radon in Yukon? No. Unlike Ontario's Tarion warranty, Yukon has no new-home warranty that covers radon. Yukon's Home Repair Program may help fund mitigation — confirm with Yukon Housing Corporation.

How much does radon mitigation cost in Yukon? There's no Yukon-specific figure; nationally the average is about $2,700 and Health Canada estimates $2,000–$3,000 for a typical system. In remote Yukon communities it can cost more because few C-NRPP mitigators work in the North.

How long does a radon test take? At least 91 days (three months) for a valid long-term result. Borrowed short-term "screeners" can flag a possible problem but aren't suitable for deciding whether to act.

Test your Yukon home

Radon is invisible, common across Yukon, and fixable. The only way to know your home's level is a long-term test.

Order your RadonTest.ca kit → — lab analysis by a C-NRPP-certified laboratory (with an all-in-Canada analysis option), tracked shipping both ways, and your result delivered with clear Health Canada context.

Sources

1. Health Canada — Radon guideline (corrective action within 1 year), modified 2025-09-24. https://radontest.ca/links/hc-guideline
2. Health Canada — Radon: What you need to know ("1 in 5 homes," 16% of lung cancers, ~3,200 deaths), 2025 edition. https://radontest.ca/links/hc-what-you-need-to-know
3. Health Canada — Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes, Final Report (Yukon 19.6%, n=225), 2012. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/radiation/cross-canada-survey-radon-concentrations-homes-final-report-health-canada-2012.html
4. Government of Yukon — Understanding the Risk of Indoor Radon Exposure in the Yukon (24.7% above 200 Bq/m³; 50.9% above 100; community data; data 2016–2019). https://www.emrlibrary.gov.yk.ca/emrlibrary/hss/yukon-radon-report-2025.pdf
5. Government of Yukon — Test your home for radon (NBC 2020 complete system; library screening loans; NBC 2025 adoption June 22 2027). https://yukon.ca/en/housing-and-property/home-and-property-maintenance/test-your-home-radon
6. Health Canada — Reducing radon levels in your home (>80% reduction; C-NRPP), modified 2025-10-09. https://radontest.ca/links/hc-mitigation-guide
7. Health Canada — Guide for radon measurements in homes (91-day test; retest triggers; 5-year retest for mitigated homes), modified 2025-12-22. https://radontest.ca/links/hc-measurements-guide
8. Health Canada — Radon Reduction Guide for Canadians (ASD mechanism; back-draft; operating cost), modified 2025-09-24. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/environmental-workplace-health/reports-publications/radiation/radon-reduction-guide-canadians-health-canada.html
9. Take Action on Radon — Reducing radon (cost data; ASD explainer; C-NRPP governance); Yukon program page. https://takeactiononradon.ca/protect/reducing-radon/ and https://takeactiononradon.ca/provinces/yukon/
10. Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board — Occupational Health Regulations (radon "working level" provision). https://www.wcb.yk.ca/regulations/occupational-health-regulations
11. Canada Gazette Part II — SOR/2026-10 (federal workplace 200 Bq/m³, in force ~early 2027), 2026-02-11. https://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2026/2026-02-11/html/sor-dors10-eng.html
12. CBC News — Yukoners urged to test for deadly radon gas (Yukon Geological Survey; geology still being studied), 2023. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukoners-urged-to-test-for-deadly-radon-gas-1.7021673

Lab analysis is performed independently by a C-NRPP-certified laboratory. Results are reported against the Health Canada guideline of 200 Bq/m³. RadonTest.ca coordinates kit logistics and sample submission only — it does not interpret or modify lab results and does not provide medical, legal, or warranty advice. Information attributed to Health Canada, the Government of Yukon, and others is summarized from the public sources listed above; confirm time-sensitive details (building-code requirements, program availability, warranty/financing) with the responsible body.